19 years’ jail for mum who abused 4-year-old girl, whose body was burned after she died

The mother of four-year-old Megan Khung who had been abused and humiliated for more than a year before she died was on April 3 sentenced to 19 years’ jail.

On Feb 28, Foo Li Ping, 29, had pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse, one count of allowing the death of a child, and one count of intentional disposal of a corpse to impede investigations.

Another count of child abuse was considered in sentencing.

Foo looked expressionless as the sentence was read out by High Court judge Hoo Sheau Peng.

“For their own sadistic ends, the accused persons robbed Megan of her dignity,” said the judge. 

The prosecution had on Feb 28 asked for 15 to 20 years’ jail, saying the case involved a gross abnegation of parental duties.

For more than a year, Foo and her boyfriend, Wong Shi Xiang, 38, caned and slapped Megan, deprived the girl of food and clothes, and made her sleep at the balcony of their rented condominium unit in Paya Lebar.

Megan was also forced to wear soiled diapers over her head, forced to eat food from the dustbin, and forced to eat her mother’s mucus - acts that were captured on video.

The physical and emotional abuse culminated in Megan’s death at the age of four, after Wong punched her in the stomach on Feb 21, 2020.

The couple burned Megan’s body in a custom-made metal barrel on May 8, 2020 after conducting research and experiments on ways to incinerate a corpse.

Megan’s ashes were never recovered.

On April 3, Wong was sentenced to 30 years’ jail and 17 strokes of the cane.

He had pleaded guilty to one count of culpable homicide for killing Megan, one count of intentional disposal of a corpse, one count of drug trafficking, and one count of drug consumption.

Another 11 charges, mostly for drug-related offences, were considered in sentencing.

The prosecution had sought a sentence of 28 to 30 years’ jail and 15 to 17 strokes of the cane for Wong.

A friend of the couple, Nouvelle Chua Ruoshi, 35, who abused drugs with them at their unit at Suites @ Guillemard, has also been charged in connection with Megan’s death.

Her case is pending in the State Courts.

Chua and the couple had recorded videos of many abusive acts, some of which were shown in court. Footage from a CCTV camera Wong installed in the unit was also played in court on Feb 28.

Megan’s parents were married in 2015, the year she was born.

Her father, Mr Khung Wei Nan, 37, is a businessman and content creator known as simonboy.

After their relationship broke down, Foo and Megan lived with Foo’s mother.

Megan was enrolled in Healthy Start Child Development Centre in 2017.

In January 2019, Foo moved in with Wong at the condo unit which he was renting. 

Megan remained with her grandmother and stayed with the couple during some weekends.

The couple would cane her when she urinated on the bed and sofa.

In March 2019, staff at the girl’s pre-school noticed bruises on her face, arms and feet. They told the couple that any abuse would be referred to the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

On Sept 17, 2019, Foo withdrew Megan from the pre-school, and Megan lived with the couple that month.

Wong caned Megan at least once a week, occasionally slapping and punching her.

Foo sometimes joined him in caning the girl.

The couple also subjected Megan to a series of humiliating abuse. 

Foo forced Megan to wear her soiled diaper over her head because she was angry the girl did not tell her that her leaking diaper was full.

Wong recorded a video of him forcing Megan to eat food from the dustbin. He also shaved her hair to humiliate her.

Wong drew all over the girl’s face because she had used her mother’s make-up products without permission. He and Chua then paraded Megan in public.

Foo and Wong controlled Megan’s diet to prevent her from defecating around the flat.

The couple also forced Megan to be naked at home. This was because the girl would peel the scabs from her caning wounds, staining her clothes with blood.

They forced Megan to sleep in a planter box, measuring 3m by 1m, outside the master bedroom, to prevent her from dirtying the flat.

She was sometimes forced to sleep underneath the wooden planks of the box without pillows or blankets.

Once, Foo blew her own nose and forced a handkerchief stained with her mucus into the girl’s mouth.

Wong hit Megan until her jaw became crooked. Foo searched online for information on how to fix dislocated jaws, and Wong tried to push it back into place, but Megan’s jaw remained crooked.

On another occasion, Wong asked Megan to choose between a cane and a baton. Despite her choosing the cane, he hit her on the arms and legs with the baton.

On the night of Feb 21, 2020, Wong scolded Megan and punched her in her stomach.

After midnight, Chua arrived at the flat and saw the girl on the floor. The trio then took drugs together.

Hours later, Chua saw that Megan was motionless.

Foo did not call for an ambulance, as she was worried her drug use and Megan’s abuse would be exposed.

Wong tried to resuscitate the girl by taping a metal chopstick to each end of two wires, inserting the chopsticks into a power source, and placing the wires on Megan’s body.

He told the two women to smoke drugs and blow the smoke through a tube into Megan’s mouth, but she remained unresponsive.

The trio then left the flat and stayed in hotels and serviced apartments.

Wong returned to the flat several times to prevent Megan’s body from being discovered.

He wrapped the corpse in a blanket, followed by layers of cling film, and brown tape.

He then placed the wrapped corpse in a plastic box and kept the air-conditioner switched on.

Between April and May 2020, Wong bought a leaf blower. He asked a signboard manufacturer to construct an “incense burning container” and provided the specifications.

On May 8, 2020, Wong drove to his godfather’s car workshop, set up the metal barrel in an open area, and used the leaf blower to fan the flames.

He then put the box containing Megan’s body into the barrel.

The two women arrived later, and the trio burned incense paper in the barrel for several hours.

After the fire died down, Wong collected the ashes and scattered them into the sea at East Coast Park.

The barrel has not been found.

On July 20 that year, Megan’s father made a police report, saying he was concerned about her whereabouts and safety.

He said he last saw her in February 2017, after which he was incarcerated. Mr Khung has previously been reported as serving a three-year sentence at a drug rehabilitation centre.

Following the police report, the trio was arrested on July 24, 2020.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

Abuse of 2-month-old baby: Mother gets 8 years’ jail for killing infant, father gets 7 years